Modern Day Miracle On A Dark South Dakota Road

After producing ‘I Love Life’ interviews for over 35 years, one story in particular stands out. It’s about a husband and wife and their amazing miracle on a dark South Dakota country road.

Christina and her husband Kevin were using a pickup to pull a trailer loaded with railroad ties. Christina says that’s where their story begins. “We really overloaded the trailer. As we were driving home, a bolt broke. The wheel came off the back end of the trailer so the left axle was lying on the ground. That stopped us short. So, we decided to take the car and drive back to our house to pick up our tractor. We were hoping to use the tractor’s bucket to hold up the left rear of the trailer. That’s when calamity occurred.”

Within seconds of trying to lift the trailer with the tractor bucket, Kevin says the two-ton vehicle flipped upside down. “And the minute I tried to lift it up, all of a sudden the tractor started to flip. I knew it was going to go over. In about three seconds, the tractor was on its top and I was pinned underneath.”

While all this was going on, Christina, who was sitting in the pickup, heard a big thud behind her. “I immediately ran out of the pickup. Here we are---9:30 at night out on a country road and it was pitch black out. I saw a small fire by the tractor. As I got closer, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Kevin was underneath the tractor. I yelled as loud as I could---‘Kevin, get out!’ He couldn’t move. His leg was pinned by the top bar of the tractor’s steering column. It was really crazy. My mind, body and soul were screaming at me to do something. My mind was wondering what could I do to get him out of there. I was actually thinking about what it would take to amputate his leg. I was hoping there was an ax in the pickup truck. My mind was spinning in fifteen different directions. I even thought about lifting the two-ton tractor. I’ve heard stories of people who in certain circumstances have super human strength. So, here I am trying to pull up on the tractor while I was thinking Kevin was going to die. The fire was growing and I didn’t think there was anyway I could get him out. All of a sudden way deep down inside me, I just yelled out as loud as I could ‘Jesus get him out!’ At the same moment I was calling on Jesus, I heard Kevin yell ‘Jesus.”

Kevin will never forget what happened at that moment. “At that very instant, I felt the tractor lift off my legs and somebody grabbed me and pulled me out. It wasn’t Christina. I got up, leaned on somebody else and limped away.” While all was going on, Christina was still trying to lift the tractor. “I was attempting to pull it up and it just didn’t budge. It did not physically move. But, what I saw was Kevin’s body slide in a perfectly smooth way. His body just slid out from under the tractor. He wasn’t wiggling or squirming. He just slid out. My mouth just dropped open.”

If it wasn’t for the divine intervention of Jesus Christ, Kevin says he would have been burned alive. “There obviously were several angels with me. I’ve seen other tractor accidents and most people do not get out alive. I quickly realized God has a purpose for us to reach people for Him.”

Christina says what happened on that lonely country road has reaffirmed her faith. “I went from a total sense of ‘what can I do’ and total despair believing Kevin would die. I’m just so grateful Jesus was the one I was calling out to save Kevin. I trust in Him. I believe in Him. In this moment of great need, Jesus answered our call.”

Ever since the night he came close to death, Kevin recites this prayer every day. “Lord, open my eyes that I might see from your perspective. Open my ears that I would hear from your word more clearly. Open my mind that I would understand your word. Open my nose that I would smell your sweet fragrance. Open my heart that I would see your word. May my hands do what you called me to do.”

Kevin and Christina---a husband and wife---who called out Jesus Christ’s name in their moment of need and received what is best described as a modern day miracle